Film Theory - Genre

What are the main ideas within genre theory?
How might it help us with understanding and explaining how the film makes meaning?  

What determines if the theory is convincing?
Is applying theories developed in other disciplines a valid way to produce knowledge?

Genre

• A kind; sort; style
• A particular style or category of works of art; esp. A type of literary work characterised by a particular form, style or purpose.

Andre Bazin - Historically... 

• Texts have been classified since the time of Ancient Greek & Roman Literature.
• Andre (e with an accent) began discussing genre & film in the 1950s.
• By the 70s genre, criticism was established as an inclusive, systematic move away from auteur theory.  --> Auteur Theory --> in which the director is viewed as the major creative force in a motion picture.

Andrew Tudor - Parody Genre...

• To make genre theory 'useful' common formal elements and features of a specific genre need to be identified. - Andrew Tudor
• Parody is useful as, to get the joke, the generic traits must be recognized.

Formal Elements:

• ICONOGRAPHY (symbolism of costume, staging setting stars)
• TONE (lighting, music, cinematography)

Issues: 

Tudor concludes the idea of genre ineffective & unreliable as a systematic way to conduct film analysis due to too many 'free-floating' variables. 

Rick Altman - Semantic/Syntactic Approach

'A Semantic/Syntactic Approach to Film' [1984]

• analysis using semantics and syntax (literature)

Semantics (words and meaning) --> Materials (costumes, acting, cinematography, set, iconography)

+ [1999] pragmatics - audience... interception of information on screen influenced by age, nationality, race, era..

Syntax (grammar, construction) --> Arrangement (structure & deeper meaning) 

Problem with genre theory: inclusive yet exclusive

1. - 'purity' some films canonized and treated differently.

Ritual Lines:

1. - 'lie masquerading as truth' audience is manipulated by genre conventions
2. - genre meets entertainment & ritual need but promotes conformity & ideology

'The shifting relationship between Hollywood and its audience (ritual) is under constant renegotiation. Ideas of mass conformity change depending on political, economic and social climate (ideology).'

The Canon

A product of what has been described as a 'hierarchical elitist academic and intellectual tradition', some texts are deemed to be canonical - artistically worthy of academic study. 

The film Canon changes and expands and often includes films that challenge genres.

Edward Buscombe - 'The idea of genre in the American Cinema' [1970]

1. Outer Meaning (syntax-structure)
2. Inner Meaning (tone, purpose - subject &audience)

Genre works with audience expectations
- marketing uses the iconography of genres to promote films, but relies on the audience to have a level of 'cultural competency'.

- Commercial pressures have an impact on the selection (production) & may create (creative) restrictions.

Steve Neale - 'Questions of Genre' 1990

• Social and cultural functions of genre 
• roles of repetition and difference
• verisimilitude - the importance of 'probability or likelihood' as specific to different genres
• emphasizes the different perceptions of 'genre'; audience, industry and theorists and critics

Neale Argues genres studies needs to:

1. look at the development of the genre in other media forms;
2. include beyond content to context (advertising, production policies, starts etc) 
   Neale continues to develop and rework his theoretical writings and critique those of others.

Genre Revisionism

• USA 60s and 70s....
  contemporary political and social context 
• traditional genres (codes and conventions) evolved and changed
• revisionists films consciously subvert or challenge conventions, sometimes embracing (political) allegory.